Akosombo, (E/R) Oct 11, GNA- Dr Joe Abbey, Director of Centre for Economic Policy Analysis (CEPA) on Saturday called for a mandatory critical assessment of governance practices of all African countries rather than the current voluntary assessment proposed under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

The APRM is an instrument voluntarily acceded to by Member States of the African Union (AU) as an African self-monitoring and control mechanism to ensure good governance and seek compliance within the tenets of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Dr Abbey argued that governance affected all countries in Africa, and that there was the need for the countries to subject their ruling system to open criticism from their peers.

Speaking at a two-day workshop on "Governance and NEPAD" at Akosombo in the Eastern Region, Dr Abbey said those governments who did not want to subject themselves to review had something to hide and to perpetuate their unlawful stay in power.

He called on African countries to expose those who do not want to subject their regimes to review.

Dr Abbey stressed that good governance is a sound basis to lift Africa out of her woes, declaring, "good governance is neither negotiable nor optional. "

The Director regretted that the worthy goals African countries envisaged during the attainment of independence became illusive as a result of bad governance.

"The history of post independent Africa is replete with a number of leaders who were corrupt, opposed press freedom and were insensitive to the plight of the people", he said.

Dr Abbey said there are countries within the ECOWAS that are not being reviewed under the APRM, and added that the Mechanism must set targets, on which its agenda should be based to ensure credibility. Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister for Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, announced that Cabinet has approved the establishment of National Peer Review Governing Council.

The Council is intended to initiate a local peer review mechanism to prepare Ghana adequately for assessment by an appointed external body of Eminent Persons.

Dr Apraku said Ghana's accession to the Peer Review Mechanism throws a big challenge to the nation, and, therefore, expressed the hope that the workshop would assist to define the structure and organisation for its implementation to make it a model for the rest of Africa. He said it was necessary that knowledge and operation of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) should move beyond the Heads of States to ownership by ordinary people to ensure its success. Dr Apraku called on Parliament to initiate measures to include NEPAD in one of its select committees.

Participants at the workshop were from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Parliament, the Media, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Association of Ghana Industries, the Federation of Women Lawyers, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Police. The Ministry of Regional Co-operation and NEPAD and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation are the organisers of the workshop, which is focusing on the APRM and its relation to good governance.